Silverplate Vanity Sets c1907

Images shown in an advertisement from a 1907 Fort Dearborn Watch & Clock Co. Catalog, Chicago, Il.

Antique Victorian Toilet Stands

In the Victorian era, the lady of the house had various implements and accessories displayed on her vanity. One of the more unusual of these accouterments was the "toilet stand", also known as a "toilet sets" or "toilet casters", as they were sometimes called. These were not only used by women, but by men as shaving stands as well.

The simplest of these was a silver plated frame to hold a single bottle of cologne or perfume. Elaborate styles often held two bottles, a puff box (powder box), a vase for flowers and a drawer for jewelry, or comb and brush and perhaps a candleholder. Most toilet stands just had two perfumes and a powder box.

These toilet stands were often made in ormolu (gilded brass or bronze) as well as silverplate. Many ormolu toilet stands were made in Bohemia. French retailers often imported them directly from Bohemia to be sold in their own country. These were very popular around the Napoleon III period and are sometimes termed "Palais Royal" for the French atelier they were purchased from. Most were fitted with beveled mirrors and decorated with metal leaves, flowers or wire curlicues. More expensive versions were mounted onto marble bases. 

Very little has been said about these beautiful reminders of femininity of the past, but the ormolu examples seem to be the oldest, and were made as early as 1840-1850s. In the late 1860s, silver plated examples began to surface.

Many of the cologne and powder box sets we see regularly today were probably meant for use in the stands. Toilet sets made up of satin glass, camphor glass, opaline glass, transparent and opaque glass were offered for use in stands. Bottles and boxes were further decorated with cutting, etching and enameling. Much of the glass and metal framework was from Bohemia, some may have come from France, too. 

A 1871 American silverplate catalog states “The bottles in these sets are of the latest Paris pattern and will be changed as often as new patterns are received.” Another calls the bottles “Malachite-blue, pink, white or canary.” And another simply “Aqua Marine decorated.” But in most cases, the glass is not mentioned. 

The silverplated toilet stands seem to have started in a modest way around 1867, but by 1877, must have increased in popularity. By July of that year, the Meriden Britannia Co., then the leading maker of silverware, was offering 41 different designs. In Sept. 1878, they added 18 new styles, and by Sept 1879, an additional 39 were offered.

Their catalog for 1882 illustrated 71 styles, and for 1886, the variety reached 85 designs. They ranged in price from $2 for a tiny stand holding a 2 oz bottle to $75 for the most elaborate, a fancy stand with bottles for cologne, a puff box, a mirror, and female figures with candle holders for six candles perched upon their heads. The stand was beautifully decorated in a gold finish.

Smaller silver companies in the Meriden, Connecticut area were also making toilet stands. Meriden Silver Plate Co. offered 29 designs in 1879; Wm. Rogers Mfg.Co. of Hartford, Conn. had 15 in 1886; Middletown Plate Co. had 14 in 1882; and Simpson, Hall, Miller & Co. show 9 designs in their catalog for 1886. All of these firms, with others, eventually became part of international Silver Company.

Other companies included Rogers Smith & Co. Meriden, Tufts, Wilcox.

 

By 1900, the heyday of the toilet stand was basically over, and only a few stands were being offered. By the turn of the century, many of these were considered “old fashioned” and silver makers were no longer producing them. I have found evidence via catalog, that Carl Hosch was still offering ormolu toilet stands as late as 1912.

Despite the hundreds of styles offered by the companies in the 19th century, these toilet stands are not found easily and are considered very rare today.

Silverplated (quadruple plate) stands were generally American made. The ormolu stands were of Bohemian manufacture. 

Silver Plated Stands:

 

 

 

 

Ormolu Stands:

 

 

Velvet Stands:

Other toilet stands were made of wood and covered with velvet. In the mid to late 19th century, companies were always looking for unique and interesting ways to pique the interest of the fickle Victorian women. One of these ways, was to house their perfumes, vanity accessories, manicure and sewing tools in decorative velvet covered cases, caskets and caddies. Many of these cases were fitted with mirrors and decorated with brass nailheads, silver or gold plated escutcheons or mountings. The velvet came in a variety of shades, mostly in rich jewel tones including amethyst purple, garnet red, ruby red, topaz orange, emerald green, olive green, sapphire blue or turquoise. Though some cases have been found in pastel shades like off white (turned now to beige), baby blue and pale pink.

These boxes can often be found today, many times they are empty of their original contents, but once in awhile, a lucky person can find the dresser sets, manicure tools, sewing implements or perfume bottles intact. In the case of the perfume bottles, their holders were dubbed toilet stands during the Victorian era. These pretty display pieces were made up until the 1920s.

1891 Marshall Field catalog had these "odor stands" - velvet stands holding perfume bottles.

 

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